Chapter 5
1178 Words
Kai barely made it to the hallway before his legs gave out beneath him.
He pressed his back against the cool, concrete wall, his chest heaving with each shallow breath he took. The moment he left the study room, it felt like the world outside had gotten too big, too overwhelming. His mind was spinning, a blur of confusion and panic.
What just happened?
He closed his eyes, trying to push away the wave of heat that still lingered under his skin. He could still feel Leon’s touch, still hear his voice in his head. The words that had been left unsaid—the things Leon had almost admitted before Kai ran.
The bond.
That pull. It had gotten stronger the closer they were. Kai couldn’t deny it anymore. He felt it every time Leon was near, like his body was drawn to him—no, compelled to be near him. The scent, the warmth, the way Leon’s presence seemed to infect every part of his mind… Kai wanted to scream.
He was not going to fall into this.
He refused.
No.
The sound of footsteps approaching brought him out of his spiraling thoughts. Kai glanced over his shoulder, but it wasn’t Leon. It was a group of students walking by, laughing about some recent school event. They glanced at him curiously, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t care. All that mattered was the feeling of Leon’s eyes on him—like he was seeing him in a way that made Kai feel exposed.
I can’t go back there. I can’t go back to him.
But even as Kai thought it, the image of Leon’s face—his concerned, conflicted expression—flashed in his mind.
Leon wasn’t just an Alpha.
He was Leon Rivera.
The notorious womanizer, the guy who had a different girl on his arm every day of the week, the guy who would never—never—be interested in someone like Kai.
So why was it so hard to shake the feeling that something between them had changed? That whatever was happening wasn’t something Leon could ignore either?
With a frustrated sigh, Kai pushed himself away from the wall. He had to keep moving. He couldn’t keep thinking about Leon. He just needed to get home, put on his music, take a hot shower, and forget about the tension in the study room.
It didn’t work.
That night, Kai lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts circled around Leon like an endless loop. His mind wouldn’t quiet, every fragment of the conversation they’d had replaying over and over again.
What if they were soulmates? What if that pull—that force—wasn’t something he could fight forever?
Kai squeezed his eyes shut. The bond wasn’t supposed to be like this. Soulmates didn’t feel like this. It wasn’t supposed to hurt.
He should’ve run.
But he didn’t.
---
The next day, Kai wasn’t sure if he was ready to face Leon again.
He woke up early, as usual, trying to push the previous night’s events from his mind. His phone vibrated on the desk, and he glanced at the screen. It was a message from Leon.
> “Meet me after class today. We need to talk.”
Kai stared at the text for a long time before replying. He wanted to ignore it, wanted to pretend like nothing had happened. But he knew better. Leon wouldn’t let him get away with it.
> “Fine. 4 PM. Outside the lecture hall.”
Kai didn’t know what he expected when he walked out of the building after his last class, but when he spotted Leon waiting by the steps, his stomach flipped. He stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the ground, like he was waiting for something—someone.
When Leon looked up and saw him, his expression shifted. He straightened up, his posture relaxed but his eyes were serious. The playful cocky grin he usually wore was nowhere to be found.
“Hey,” Leon said, his voice a bit softer than usual. There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, like he was unsure of how to approach Kai now.
Kai swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way his body reacted to the sound of Leon’s voice.
“Hey,” Kai said stiffly, shoving his hands into his pockets. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Leon directly. His heart was still racing, and it felt like the pull was making his whole body buzz with electricity.
Leon’s expression faltered. “Look… I just wanted to talk. About yesterday. I know I was being a dick.”
Kai felt a sharp, unexpected pang in his chest. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m fine.”
Leon tilted his head slightly, studying him with those piercing eyes. “You don’t look fine, Kai. And I don’t think you’re as fine as you’re pretending to be.”
Kai clenched his jaw. “I told you, I’m fine.”
“Really?” Leon stepped closer, his voice low, almost too quiet. “Because you didn’t look fine when you ran out of the room last night. And you sure as hell don’t look fine now.”
“I’m not going to talk about this with you.” Kai’s voice was shaking, but he couldn’t let Leon see that. He turned away, but Leon caught his arm before he could walk away.
“You can’t just keep running away from me, Kai,” Leon said, his grip firm but not harsh. “You’re not the only one who feels it.”
Kai froze.
The words sent a chill through his body. He turned slowly to face Leon, eyes wide. “What did you just say?”
Leon looked at him seriously, his hand still on Kai’s arm. “You think I didn’t feel it? That pull between us? The way it’s making me go crazy?”
Kai’s chest tightened. “You don’t get to pretend like you care about me.”
“I’m not pretending, Kai,” Leon said softly, his voice almost... vulnerable. “I don’t know what’s happening. But I’m not going to pretend it isn’t there anymore.”
The weight of his words hung in the air between them, heavy, suffocating. Kai couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, his mind struggling to process what Leon had just admitted.
But it was too much. The bond, the pull—it was so strong now, so real. He could feel it. Leon could feel it, too.
Leon stepped closer, closing the space between them, his fingers brushing against Kai’s arm again.
“You’re mine,” Leon said, the words coming out before either of them could stop them. His voice was rough, raw with emotion. “And I don’t know what the hell this is, but I can’t let you go.”
Kai’s breath caught in his throat.
He knew.
He knew Leon wasn’t just talking about the project.
---
To be continued…
- Writer
